Youths of Imo Community  shuts down oil company exploration in the area 

Victor  Duruamaku  Owerri

Aggrieved youths of Ilile community, in Ohaji /Egbema local Government  Area of Imo State  Tuesday, forced  an oil Company,  operating in the area,  the Sterling Global Oil Company Ltd  to stop  operation and any other activities

 

The protesting  youths  were  said  to  have been  angered  by  the refusal of   the  oil  company  to  pay  members  of the  community  their entitlements

 

 

The angry youths in their large numbers had stormed the company sit to stop further exploration until all necessary things, payments, documents are made for the land owners and the communities.

 

Chanting songs and carrying  placards  with inscriptions such as “Sterling Global Company, we don’t need war, come and settle our community”, “we say no to an injustice, stop working”, “we say no to self appointed committees”, “we need peace, the land belongs to the community not an individual” the youths said that until the right things are done, work at the site would not resume”

 

Addressing the protesting youths, the President General of Ilile Autonomous Community, Mr. Antenasus Nwagbara decried the failure of the company to settle the community and the land owners before carrying out their exploration in their land.

 

He equally condemned the use of the group he identified as cabals by the company to deny the community and the land owners their due right from the land, describing it as unfortunate that the same cabals have prevented the company from reaching the community and land owners.

 

He said: “the community is not aware of any payment, agreement or documentation has being done”.

 

The President General  however urged the company to as a matter of urgency come and tell them their terms of operation and job content describing it as wrong for the company to form a committee without reference to  the  community.

 

In his speech, the Youth President Ilile autonomous community, Comrade Chibuike Nzekwe said that he was surprise to hear that the company have commenced exploration work at the site even when they have refused to settle both the community and the land owners.

 

He stated the real essence of there peaceful protest which is to register their grievances to the company by stopping them from working until the right things are done.

 

He said that from the look of the environment, the company have brought in their chipping, gravel and sand which is a signal for commencement of work at the site.

 

Reacting a stakeholder in the community and owner of access road to the site, Prince Azubuike Ekezie expressed surprise that he came home during the last xmass period and discovered that there is an access road passing through his land to the company site without his consent .

 

He added that even an exploration work have commenced yet without the car company making any effort to reach the owners of the land

 

According to him he discovered that a committee have single handedly being picked to mediate between the community and the company without his knowledge and consultation as one of the owners of the access roads.

 

Prince Ekezie said that a petition was quickly made to Inspector General of Police which was approved resulted in the arrest of the leader of the committee who was warned to stay clear of the site.

 

He recalled of a stakeholder meeting held recently in the community where the said committee was unanimously  dissolved for reconstitution because of the reasons that they are not the choice of the community coupled with obvious fsct of non effective representation of the community.

 

He described it as unfair that a reputable oil  company like Sterling Global would buldoze itself into the community land for exploration without due consultation of the  owners of the land.

 

He said: “even both cassava, palm trees and other valuable crops in farm were destroyed yet without the company paying compensation to the owners”.

 

Azubuike while urging the youths to be peaceful in whatever they are doing, advised the company to toll the line of peace by as a matter of necessity settling the community and land owners.

 

Reacting to the issue, the Chief Security Officer of the company and the Community Liason Officer of Sterling Global Oil Company, Mr. Jideofor denied all the allegations leveled against the company adding that the company did not bulldoze itself into any community land

 

He said that whole process of acquiring the land started since 3-4 years ago adding that the company during that period met the traditional ruler of the community where every negotiation was made.

 

Jideofor said that the company carried out every negotiation, documentation, payment adding that the community even were granted the right to bring an independent valuer who has full documentation, pictures and power of attorney before payment was made.

 

He insisted that for a company to invest in oil must go for peace because when there is no peace, it cannot guarantee the investment.

 

On the picking of committee by some people, the Liaison Officer said that the company after there meeting with the owners of the land asked for interface committee that would be there for both the community and company.

 

He said that the people went back and brought a list to them with the name of PG, and the Lawyer among the names.